


Pushed into its Pages (How to Save a Duke's Life)

by connectedfeelings



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Isekai, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternative Universe - Kingdom, Drama, Drama & Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Isekai, Mutual Pining, Plot, Romance, Slow Burn, Some Humor, Swords & Sorcery, wary of each other but also "wow youre attractive"
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:34:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26957398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/connectedfeelings/pseuds/connectedfeelings
Summary: She just wished to go home after a rough day, but med student Sakura Haruno's luck runs dry, and she gets caught in a car accident. By some miracle, she wakes up in an unfamiliar room, alive, and meets the man of her dreams. But he was supposed to only exist in fiction, the duke of a country written in her favorite book series. Sasuke Uchiha, the same character who's supposed to die in two years.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Uchiha Itachi/Uchiha Izumi
Comments: 45
Kudos: 132
Collections: Time Travel and World Travel





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen, I have no impulse control.
> 
> Last edit: 10/11/20
> 
> Tags: Romance, Isekai, Fantasy, Drama, Humor, Adventure
> 
> Main Pairing: SasuSaku
> 
> Side Pairing(s): ItaIzu

**Prologue**

* * *

Reality is conceived as nothing more than the disappointment brought upon the world, nothing ever living up to its potential, nothing ever lasts. Just like life, it comes and goes as the creator pleases. Now, who people believe as the creator is all up for debate. Some don't believe in such a thing at all. Others devote their entire existence to the creator, to their one God or gods to help them make sense of the world that surrounds them. To most people, reality is the hand that grabs your rose colored glasses and smashes them onto the ground revealing the grey and the mundane.

Though nothing is for certain, we still cling onto the desire for the things untouchable. There are people who want to walk the path of wealth. There are those who desire someone they can never truly have. And then there are those who want something beyond reality, something that can only be described as fantastical. Usually those thoughts come out of wanting to escape the dreary world they were born in, or perhaps a daydream to distract them from the dull and ordinary. Dull and ordinary, that's what people have grown to believe as the definition of reality.

But what if that perception is wrong? What if it is what they want you to think?

Eyes covered by a black hood watched as a young woman with pink tresses packed up her things, placing the book she was reading back into her bag and the paper wrapping of the sandwich she had consumed crumpled up and tossed into the nearby trash bin, she noticed her emerald eyes squint ever so slightly. A sign. It was almost time.

The cloaked body, invisible to the students littered all over the building, followed the young woman as always. It'd been done since long ago, and her fate was about to arrive. Only a few more hours left.

The sun gave way to the moon, and the young woman was walking back to where she'd been residing for years. As the moon peaked high above the observers, the shadow knew.

All she needed now was a push.

.

.

.

**_B E E P_ **

.

.

.

Tires gliding on the asphalt road.

A woman's lifeless body on the ground as blood pooled beneath.

Panicked bystanders' eyes filled with shock.

That was the reality, at least to most.

"Her reality here may have ended, but her truth is about to begin."

A truth to be laid in what she thought as fantasy. Not a perception, but the genuine thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet another project born from my lack of motivation to write the next Eternal chapter. I've been meaning to do this for a while, and I was heavily inspired by isekai manhwas, specifically The Reason Why Raeliana Ended Up in the Duke's Mansion, Doctor Elise, and Lucia. I've also been kind of inspired by Outlander.
> 
> Hope you like it! I'm very excited for this.


	2. First: Pushed by a Stranger, Found by Another

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explanations on the end note.
> 
> Last edit: 10/11/20
> 
> Tags: Romance, Isekai, Fantasy, Drama, Humor, Adventure
> 
> Main Pairing: SasuSaku
> 
> Side Pairing(s): ItaIzu

__

_His vision was blurring, his body going limp. He no longer had the energy to stand, his knees buckling forcing him to grab onto the sword he had pierced through the ground smeared in crimson. The large wound on his chest, what was indescribable pain now numb, his senses no longer cooperating with his mind and body. His eyelids were growing heavier by the second. His throat clenched, evident by the sound of him breathing, as he clung to whatever was left in him._

_Was this the end? He did not wish to think it so. But in his condition, he knew, deep down, that he didn’t have a chance. Perhaps he never did._

_“I warned you.” There was condescension in his words as he stared down at his weak body, no remorse whatsoever hinted in his tone. “But just like everyone in your damned family, you refused to listen.”_

_He tried to speak, but although his lips formed words, no sound came out except for harsh, gargled sounds coming from his throat. He stopped, realizing that all that came out was the metallic taste of his very own blood._

_His enemy laughed. “Know when to give up, Your Grace. It would do you as well as His Majesty better to realize this now.” A finger lifted his chin up for their eyes to meet. Dark brown eyes filled with the elation of victory met with red eyes fading into onyx, its vitality lost. “You fought well, though. Better than I’d anticipated. However, your time has come.”_

_Raising his sword, the duke could only watch as his images of his life passed through his mind. His brother, tasked with leading their kingdom, would be left without him. His niece and nephew would no longer have their uncle to help them in sword training and show them pieces of the world he would bring back after battles from afar to protect their land. His mother would be left without the son she always kept so close to her, so dear to her. He wouldn’t be able to warn them of this treachery lurking within their own court. Instead, he would finally be reuniting with his father from beyond the grave, and he would get to see the son he cherished more in secret, his love not one he tended to show so callously._

_He didn’t realize it, the red tear he had shed in his right eye rolling down his cheek, adding to the red stain that was already there._

_It was the end of the Duke of Mangekyo, and what an untimely death it was._

_“Say your farewells, Duke Sasuke!”_

_Jigen had done the job. And the king was next._

* * *

“What?!” Sakura yelled as she processed what she had just read. “No!”

Forgetting where she was for the moment, the countless shushing sounds from irritated students who were distracted from their work reminded her that she was in the university library. Feeling sheepish by her own outburst, she mouthed an apology to the man who sat at the table across from her, his back turned towards her to give her a look. 

Looking down at the book she had slammed on the table, she flipped back to the previous page to make sure what she read was correct. And then, she did it again. And again. She stopped, wincing at the dull ache in her head she’s had since she had woken up. Maybe the speed of her eyes scanning the letters made it hurt more. Still, it didn’t change what was already there.

 _‘No,’_ she thought as she slumped back into her chair, reality settling in. ‘ _I can’t believe this.’_

It was real. It was written. It was published. Her favorite character of her favorite book series had just died. _‘How am I supposed to keep reading this?!’_ She fought the urge to whine. _The Kingdom of Crimson: Susanoo_ was the book series that she had followed ever since she had started med school, dating to just a month after her freshman year started when she had found the book in the university library. Now, in its fourth book and Sakura in her last semester before her residency, it’s the first time she felt like she shouldn’t even read another page. From the start, the Duke of Mangekyo, Sasuke Uchiha, was the character that had interested her to keep reading the story. His complex character and compelling storyline was the most appealing part of the series to her and with his character’s death, how could she possibly keep reading? He’d never get back to his family. His nephew will never again get to spend time with the uncle he cared for so deeply. 

Closing the book, she let out a deep sigh. She thought her day couldn’t get any worse, but the universe seemed to love proving her wrong. Her alarm hadn’t gone off in the morning, thus making her late for her first lecture. It was raining today, as well, and she showed up to class soaking, her bag wet and so was the contents inside of it. Luckily though, her laptop had not suffered any damage. She couldn’t say the same for her notebooks, though. Though she had some notes typed in her laptop, she much preferred writing them down, finding it was easier for her to retain the information when written by her own hand. 

She had to stop by her dorm before her second class of the day to hang the pages by her shower curtain rack to dry, having no time to try and use the hairdryer on low to speed up the process. Hopefully, they wouldn’t all be ruined by the time they did dry.. She thought her day was brightening up after nothing much went wrong throughout her second class, but she stood corrected during lunch, when the lines were far too long to get anything and she couldn’t wait long enough because her next class was less than half an hour away. So she went to her third class with an empty stomach. Finally, when she reached the library having procured a sandwich to munch on after hours of nothing to eat, she thought she’d finally been given a break. And then, her favorite character had to just go and die.

Sakura huffed, folding her arms over her chest. It was official. Today was not her day. She had half a mind to write an angry book review online or maybe, take it one step further and send an email to the author. She scoffed. No, she wasn’t going to turn into one of those people, emailing the author just because she wasn’t satisfied with how events turned out. Besides, it’s not like anyone actually knew who the author was nor were there many book review sites that had the book listed on it. The name published with the book is a pen name, and the author doesn’t have any sort of social media. It was all the publishing company’s work to promote the series and promote it, they did. Though she loved the series, she felt as though she was the only one. The book didn’t have a page on the book review website she frequented, nor could she find much about the publishing company, _Chakura no Mi_ . The only place she could find any sort of information regarding the series was a Twitter account by the username, _tentails_. The book’s origins were mysterious enough, but another unique thing about it was that it could only be bought through the publishing company’s website. 

At first, it heavily intrigued her, but as the years passed, she had other more pressing matters to deal with at school, so she didn’t dive too deep into the mystery. Sakura, herself, didn’t consider herself a big fan of the fantasy genre, she preferred more contemporary settings. But the series captured her attention and had her on the edge of her seat for every book that would come out. The one she had just put down was four of five, the last one to be released the following year. However, as of the moment, she had no plans on picking it up. The wound of losing her favorite character was still very fresh.

Packing the book back into her bag and zipping it closed, she stood up and decided she would be better back in the dorm. Maybe the walk to the other side of campus would calm her mind enough for her to finish the paper she needed to do before she had to go to her last class.

Leaving the library building, she tried to think more positively going forward for the rest of the day. The young med student didn’t want to dwell on the negative for now. However, as she walked across the street, she couldn’t shake off the growing sense of dread that had bubbled up in her thoughts. As soon as she was safely on the other side of the road, she turned around. She was the only one crossing the street. So why did she feel like she was being watched?

* * *

The day had finally ended and the sun had set beneath the horizon, the moon slowly rising to take its place, watching over the people below the sky. Sakura had decided to go out with a few of her friends to a restaurant just outside of campus, figuring it would be best for her to go out with friends after the day she had. She didn’t want to stay too long, though. The headache she had since morning began to feel more than an ache. It was a pain she could manage up until now. Now, her head felt like it was pounding as if it was a nail being pummeled by the fists of a boxer.

“You’re leaving already?” One of her friends asked as Sakura stood up, dusting herself off.

“I have an early start tomorrow, and I have a few things I need to finish before then,” Sakura answered, trying not to sound sheepish at her own words.

“Come on, Sakura! Live a little! Have a few more drinks with us.”

“Are you sure you’ll be fine? You mentioned your head hurting a bit.”

The table erupted into boisterous noise, attempting to encourage their overly studious friend to stay. It was to no avail, though. Bidding them farewell with a few hugs (some tighter than others, the alcohol having a part in their decision to squeeze instead), she exited the restaurant, bag in hand. Her friend had given her a ride, so to get back to the dorms, she’d have to take a bus. She had her own car, of course, but with the headache she’d been having, she thought it best to walk the short distance (at least for her) to the restaurant. Besides, she thought after all the food she ate, the walk might do her good.

Following the path the app on her phone provided for her, she nodded her head to the music playing in her ear.

It was a busy night. Traffic on the way to the city looked terrible, the cars stopped close together, drivers squeezing their ways in as if an inch could sate their impatience. The bright lights for the vehicles did nothing to aid her aching head. If anything, the pounding got worse. She pursed her lips. She was less than five minutes away from the bus stop. She’ll be fine soon. Hopefully the painkillers she kept in her medicine closet would stop the pounding. 

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder, startling her. Looking up, she removed one earbud from her ear and met the subtly worried look on the stranger. The stranger’s eyes were an odd color, and judging by the cane the stranger carried, she guessed perhaps it was because she was blind. Still, the oddly colored eyes stared at hers as if she could see the tired and slightly pained emeralds. And there goes the fact that they noticed that she was feeling discomfort due to her aching head. 

“Are you okay?” The stranger’s voice was deep, but Sakura couldn’t tell whether the stranger was a man or a woman. 

Visible to the stranger or not, they noticed she had her attention at them, and not wanting to be rude, Sakura decided to answer, despite her trepidation. Something about this stranger gave her a sinking feeling in her stomach, and she couldn’t pinpoint why. “No. No, it’s fine. I’m fine.”

The stranger nodded. Noticing other people around us have begun walking, I turned to see the light was green. She walked to the other side of the road and looked back to see the stranger had not moved. They were still on the other side of the road, and their eyes were fixated on her.

She stilled, the terrible gut reaction she had to the stranger getting worse, even though she had put quite a distance between them. Sakura contemplated whether she should call someone. She was close enough to the stop, so she figured she should just hurry up. The sooner she got home, the better. 

As Sakura was about to leave, she felt a paralyzing shock to her body. Shots of electricity ran up and down her veins, stilling her body, her feet heavy as if it were sinking deep into sand. Her mind yelled at her, ‘Move!’ yet nothing happened. It seemed no one around her had noticed her dilemma. Her lips refused to move, her throat flooding with liquid from the back of her throat. 

From the shadows, the stranger appeared in front of her.

‘ _Wait! How did they get here?_ ’ Her thoughts filled with panic. No one around had yet to notice. ‘ _Someone! Help!_ ’

Was this what being frightened to death felt like? Sakura felt as though it was the case. But why on Earth did her body refuse to listen to her mind’s command.

‘ _This can’t be real._ ’

As if hearing her thoughts, the stranger, who was now in front of her, spoke. “Oh, but what is real?”

They could hear her? A wash of dread overcame Sakura. She could feel tears fighting to escape her, but she couldn’t feel a single tear on her cheek. ‘ _How is no one seeing this? Help!_ ’

“You do not need help, dear.” A wry smirk crept on the stranger’s pale lips.

Would this be how the young woman met her end?

Long nailed fingers reveal themselves from beneath the stranger’s sleeves, both palms facing the panicked student. “You’re needed elsewhere.”

‘ _What?_ ’

“And in the end, you’ll find that you would want to thank me.”

With one strong push, Sakura couldn’t process what was happening to her fast enough. Her body could move again, and she struggled to stay upright, the push shocking her out of her paralysis, and she didn’t notice that the red light had turned green. Her right foot tried to steady her but she was still falling, her back on the quick descent to meet the dark grey asphalt. 

Then, darkness.

* * *

**_First: Pushed by a Stranger, Found by Another_ **

* * *

“The issue in the east has been dealt with. Viscount Hatake of the Sharingan region managed to quell the growing tension between the two marquesses, and I had gone to squash any lingering ill will towards you, Your Majesty.”

“As always, efficient. Thank you.” A pause. “But how many times must I tell you to address me casually. It still feels odd to hear my own brother refer to me with such grandeur.”

The young duke looked up.

“Will I have to die before hearing my own brother lovingly refer to me as big brother?” The king frowned, his mood seemingly a little teasing.

“I stopped calling you that when I was ten, Itachi.” The duke sighed, the proof of his embarrassment at his brother’s announcement to the people present in the throne room shown in the pinkish hue spreading from the tips of his ears. 

“It would do you well to leave your serious mind elsewhere at time like these, Sasuke,” the viscount who stood next to him said with an amused lilt in his lips, despite being hidden by the mask he wore constantly. Giving him a pat on the back, the Viscount of Sharingan enjoyed seeing the usually stoic young duke flustered. “Indulge your brother, would you?”

Receiving his interest with a sharp glare, Sasuke had chosen not to respond verbally, rather with a quick punch to the stomach while he stood in place. The viscount, however, did not groan. He stifled one as he lurched forward due to the sudden impact. He was not at all offended, though, as this was a normal occurrence between the king, the duke, and himself.

Itachi, seated on his throne, could no longer hide the laugh he had kept to himself. Standing up and walking down the steps to meet his brother, he shook his head at the frown Sasuke bore on his face. To most, it would look like he was angry. To those who knew him, they recognized it as his form of a stubborn pout. Of course, it varied with every situation. 

“I appreciate that you traveled all the way to Amaterasu to bear the good news, Kakashi. Are you sure it was worth the days' travel?”

Kakashi shook his head. “None at all. In fact, I would say I needed some time away.”

The king nodded, then turned his attention to his brother. “Sasuke, care for a stroll?”

* * *

“How is the Mangekyo territory faring?”

Sasuke looked at his brother with slight confusion as the two strolled through the gardens of the capital’s palace. The greenery looked lush in its vivid color, thriving in the spring fair weather. Hints of red, black, and white peaked through the bushes that lined the pathway, roses that represented the national colors of the kingdom. Occasionally, a lone violet rose would appear amidst the others, the symbolic color of the land chosen by the man who founded the kingdom, Indra.

“It’s faring well,” he answered. “Nothing of importance nor warranting worry have arisen in the past year. This, I’ve stated in my letters to you, though I assume you were aware of that when you asked me your question.”

Itachi let out an amused breath. “Kakashi is right in saying you are far too serious at times.”

“Mangekyo is a large territory that, need I remind you, you assigned me duke to. Mother would have much preferred me being Duke of Katon, as father would have wanted, as well.”

“Ah, but would _you_ have preferred it? Katon is an easier place to govern, and though it is closer to the capital, you would not have wanted an easy life.”

Sasuke knew his brother’s words rang true. Katon was a smaller territory of land located next to Amaterasu, the capital. It was rich with resources, and the nobles in the land tended to be kinder than the other territories of the Kingdom of Susanoo. To lead the land would have been an easy task compared to the rest, and he would have grown bored quickly. 

Compared to Katon, Mangekyo was larger in land with harder to impress nobles and a pillar of the kingdom’s economy, far more daunting a territory to lead. It was also farther away from the capital. Sasuke had been wanting a chance to prove himself to the people of the kingdom, that he was not just a prince whose use was only on the battlefield. He had grown up with the best tutors in the land, his father, the previous king, taught him what he knows about governing. Perhaps that was where he had obtained his stoicism from.

Duke Sasuke was a man known for the everpresent furrow on his brow. With his renown on the battlefield, an instance being when he gave his aid to the Senju Empire when his close friend, the prince, asked for his assistance against assailants from the Oto Continent to their victory, he had skill in addition to his handsome features. Always the painting of solemnity, many found him difficult to talk to. That didn’t stop some people, though, specifically those of the opposite sex.

“That’s all an old matter. In the mere five years since you’ve become duke, you have proven to the continent of your skills. I’m proud of you, little brother.” Itachi gave him a smile.

Sasuke nodded, a small tilt upwards from the corners of his lips. “Was this all you wanted to talk about on our stroll, brother?”

Itachi looked at him curiously. “What do you mean?”

The duke stopped walking. The king did so, as well. 

“You have something on your mind, I can tell. And by your mood today, I surmise it is something that’s caused you much joy?”

The king shook his head. The only person who could read him better than his brother was his mother. Thankfully for the time being, she was spending her time in Izanagi, enjoying the palace by the waters of the West Sea. “What would you say if I told you I had met a woman?”

Sasuke’s brows rose in surprise. “A woman?” 

His brother merely nodded. 

Clearing his throat, the duke and the king resumed their stroll. “Which noble is she?”

“She isn’t one.”

That piece of information didn’t surprise the duke. Having met every noblewoman in the kingdom, Itachi hadn’t shown the least bit interest towards any of them. It was all polite greetings and dances during balls and big events. It was the same for him, however Itachi was always courteous to his partners. Sasuke did the necessary, but it was clear he did not enjoy them.

“She’s a farmer’s daughter.”

Now, this was a surprise. “Where could you have possibly met a farmer’s daughter?” 

“Whenever I’m able, I tend to go out in disguise to see how the kingdom is faring with my own eyes.”

“Big brother, that’s dangerous!”

“Was it not you who said you stopped referring to me in that manner fifteen years ago?” Itachi grinned. “And don’t be so surprised. I am well aware you do the same in your dukedom.”

He was right, but in addition to being his brother, he’s also the king! There was far more danger facing him. 

“I’m thinking of asking for her hand.”

One surprise after another. “Would the court object?”

“I’m the king. I think I have enough power to overrule their objections.”

A little frustrated, Sasuke sighed, rubbing a hand on his forehead. “Does this woman know?”

Judging from his brother’s silence, she did not. “Good luck with explaining that.”

“You do not oppose it?”

“And what right do I have to do so. It is your choice.”

Itachi’s expression softened. “You’re right. One thing I know I do not have to fret about is mother’s approval. She’d been pestering me about marriage for years.”

“I think the whole continent has been waiting for that announcement from the capital,” Sasuke remarks. “A thirty-one year old king with no bride.”

“You best keep an eye out, as well, Sasuke.” He chuckled. “You’re mother’s next target once I do marry.”

“You’re confident she will say yes? Despite the complexity of the situation.”

“I’ve no doubt of her feelings.”

“Would that be enough?”

“I hope so.”

They changed their direction and made their way back inside the palace. Just a short distance away from the stairs that would bring them to the large archway that would greet them before they enter, Itachi stopped and faced Sasuke. “I wish the same for you, you know.”

Sasuke raised a brow, confused. However, the king didn’t explain and the two continued walking into the palace in silence, Itachi’s last words echoing in Sasuke’s mind. Sasuke would still be thinking about it during his trip returning to Mangekyo, the statement plaguing his mind. He couldn’t understand why.

* * *

**Pink tresses tickled the grass covered forest,** **  
** **soft, smooth skin met its touch.**

**The woman, fast asleep, to wake in her new reality.**

* * *

It would be less than a quarter of the day, and he’d arrive back to the place he’d been calling home for five years now. A few soldiers had come with him and the viscount in their travels to assure their safety. It was more of something that must be done rather than a task he wanted specifically done. It was known that he and the viscount who was also with him that they could handle themselves. But ‘tis the life of a noble, priggish and sometimes insufferable, as Sasuke would describe it.

“Eager to be home, Sasuke?” Kakashi asked, his horse appearing next to Sasuke’s. 

He hummed an answer. Yes. “There are things to prepare.” He needed to gauge how the other noble’s in his territory would react to the king marrying a commoner. They couldn’t oppose him outright, but he was aware some lords had been throwing their daughters at the king for the chance to become the queen’s father. Nobles loved to talk about nonsensical rumors, so he had to tread carefully.

Sasuke sighed. He thought he’d be able to take a small break for once. How was he to know his brother had fallen in love? 

As cautious as the duke appeared, he was happy that his brother seemed happy, but he had to be vigilant. He didn’t know the woman, so it was up to him to make sure nothing was lurking behind the curtain.

He looked forward, the vivid colors of the forest met his sight in a warm greeting. People unfamiliar with the area would have let their guard down at such an ethereal sight, unaware that this part of the forest before the Mangekyo Estate was home to large venomous snakes and unfriendly wolves. Sasuke had known this even before his reign as duke in the territory began, hence why he was always armed with his sword, ready to fend off any large wolven beast, and why his travelling party always had healing potions in case one of them or their horses would fall victim to the snake’s venom.

However, as he inspected his surroundings, it was neither a wolf nor a reptile that caught his attention. He thought he saw pink in the sea of green that was the forest grass. Turning his head to get a better look, his eyes widened, realizing that what he saw was a head of pink hair that belonged to a woman who appeared to be asleep. Stopping his horse before redirecting the stallion to her direction, the rest of his travelling part had also halted their movements.

“Your Grace!” The head knight called out before realizing why he strayed from the path.

As Sasuke got closer, he noticed the young woman’s odd clothing. Her skirt was not the same color as the bodice, its length what the court would consider scandalous, reaching just above her knees. But that wasn’t the only thing peculiar. How did she get this far into the forest with not so much as a scratch on her skin? Why was she laid in a dangerous forest so close to the duke’s estate? 

He hopped off of his steed and proceeded to crouch down to inspect the body. Only it wasn’t a corpse as he had first thought. She was very much alive, her chest rising and falling to her silent breathing. 

Kakashi and the head knight appeared behind him, getting off of their horses to stand closer to the duke.

“Just when I thought this trip would end with it being wholly uneventful,” Kakashi remarked, his hand on his chin. “What will you do, duke?”

“Is she a forest nymph?” The knight pondered aloud. With her bright pink hair, unblemished skin, and revealing clothing, she looked as if she could be one.

She wasn’t, Sasuke was sure of it. Her ears did not have the telltale point that nymphs do. And nymphs in this forest didn’t like to show themselves often. And there was something else.

“Kakashi,” he spoke without tilting his head to face him. “Do you sense it?”

“Yes.”

Chakra. She possessed chakra, a rare energy force only magic users are blessed with since birth. An energy force she had in spades. An energy force only those who possess it can sense.

He had half a mind to leave her, not knowing who the woman was and if she was dangerous, but he was intrigued. If she had this level of chakra, it meant she was of noble blood or a descendant of a mage. If he left her asleep on the ground, it was only a matter of time before a wolf or a snake would find their next meal. It looked as if she was in very deep sleep. And perhaps in the small chance she was of noble birth or a daughter of a powerful mage, it would only spell more trouble for him if word got out she was missing.

He doubted her origins that being of nobility in the Kingdom of Susanoo, however. He had met them all and none resembled her features. Perhaps she was visiting from a neighboring country? 

Sighing, he called for the captain to bring their healer to check if she truly was in an acceptable condition.

“Are you taking her to the estate?” Kakashi whispered the question as the healer lifted up the woman’s arm and checked for a pulse.

“A large amount of chakra. She’s someone of some importance. It will be a headache if a frantic noble or mage starts wreaking havoc across the country.”

Kakashi shook his head. “Always so pragmatic.” Though Sasuke’s words showed no signs of weakness, the viscount knew that if he were not the least bit intrigued, he would have ignored the woman once he spotted her. “You regret not taking a carriage with us on this journey, do you not?”

“We’ll arrive at the estate a few hours after noon regardless.”

“We’d arrive by noon if we continued at our previous pace.”

“And how do you suggest we move this woman?”

“I believe her savior should do the honors.” 

Kakashi enjoyed teasing him far too much for the duke’s liking, but it had been this way since he was a child.

“She appears healthy, Your Grace.” The healer stood up, dusting off his trousers. 

“What do you need us to do, Your Grace?” The knight asked.

“We continue our way to the estate.” Sasuke kneeled before the sleeping beauty’s body and put his hands beneath her back, between it and the ground, easily lifting her up as if she weighed as little as a bag of feathers. 

With her in his arms, he walked back to his horse, raising her up to the steed. Kakashi was right beside him, using his arm to keep the woman’s body upright as Sasuke hoisted himself up onto his horse. Once comfortable, his hands reached for the reins, and Kakashi moved her slightly so that she would be leaning onto his chest, the duke’s arms around her. Even with all the movement, the woman had yet to open her eyes.

The men stood astonished by their Grace’s actions, some mouths ajar as a reaction. Kakashi only chuckled, his arms crossed. He had no idea he would take his jest so seriously. 

“What are you all gawking at? Let’s move.”

Ever the pragmatic duke.

* * *

**From the shadows, a woman smirked. Everything was set in motion.**

* * *

The first thing she noticed was the silence, nothing but cool empty silence. The next thing she noticed was how soft and comfortable the sheets were. Slowly, she lifted her body up, her upper back aching from having slept in such an uncomfortable position- a position she was not aware of. With a few blinks, she assessed her surroundings. 

The room was tidy, a large window on the wall to her right giving light to the large space. She noticed the absence of an overhead light source, instead there was a large ornate design that decorated it. Looking lower, she took note of wall sconces that held unlit candles. Looking at the hands on her lap, she realized the bed she was laying on was larger than she had imagined. 

Slowly, it dawned on her how unfamiliar everything was and her stomach sank. Sakura had no idea where she was. Panicked, she threw her legs over the edge and her feet met the cold ground. Her shoes, where were her shoes?

Finding them on the other side of the bed, she quickly put them on and ran for the door, her hand quickly pushing it open.

Her vision was greeted by walls shielded by shelves of books, touched only by dust that set upon it by time. Other books were piled by the shelves, and with closer inspection, her earlier thought was wrong. Someone was in the room recently. How else would there be no dust atop the pile?

She bit the tip of her thumb’s nail, racking her brain as to an explanation of how she got to where she was. The last thing she remembered was leaving the restaurant to go home. This certainly was not home.

‘ _Shit, did I go back in and drink some more? Did I trespass drunk? Fuck.’_

In the two rooms she had been in, she noticed how it had seemed as if there was no electricity in them. Perhaps the homeowner loved antiques? Everything felt old fashioned to her, but in a more positive way. It wasn’t in the sense that it was tacky, but it was old fashioned in a tasteful way. A rather muted one, too.

She turned her attention to the empty desk, and her suspicions were proving her right as she walked to the desk situated in the middle of the room. A feather laid on top of parchment, a letter unfinished with only the first half of the page filled with words of pleasantries. The ink on the tip had not yet dried. 

‘ _Parchment and ink? Wow, they’re really sticking to their taste.’_

__

* * *

_Dear brother,_

_Since you have requested I refer to you as such on our last meeting, I will do as you wish. My journey back to my estate was a safe one and was not marked by interesting events, until the last few hours where my men and I encountered an unconscious woman by our path in the forest nearing my property._

* * *

Her fingers reached for the unfinished letter, the index finger only a breath away from its touch when an abrupt pain in her chest overwhelmed her senses, clouding her sight, blocking her throat, paralyzing her to the spot on which she stood. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t see. Yet somehow, she could hear a light flutter of wings, like a bird had just taken flight right next to her. She could hear groups of people talking, their voices starting loud, then as each second passed, they grew fainter and fainter until all she could hear again was the silence she had woken up to. Then, a horn; dreadful, grating, distressing… A warning.

She felt her throat dry as flashing images began conquering her mind. Flashes of faces, of people she had a sense she had to know, but could not for the life of her name. Images of fast moving vehicles overrunning the streets as people waited by the sidelines until it was safe for them to walk. The sight of a picture that was red turning green, the feeling of her body moving on its own, walking across the street but freezing once she saw a blinding light, and the horn, the warning, growing louder as the light completely took over her sight.

As quickly as it came, it disappeared, ebbing away into nothingness until the silence overtook the space once again. Her breath hitched, her feet unsteady after the brief albeit puzzling moment. A rush of emotions came at her at once, with it came the memories of what had occurred before her waking up in an unfamiliar room.

A stranger.

She was pushed into oncoming traffic. The tires screeched, the car horns were loud enough to break her eardrums.

“How the hell am I alive?” Her throat was now desperate for moisture, the thoughts that plagued her running it dry. She tried to distract herself, hugging her body as if to quell a chill she didn’t have.

Overwhelmed, she didn’t notice the creak of the door opening.

“Ah,” a deep voice startled her. “You’re awake.”

Intimidation ran down her spine. It didn’t sound like the stranger she had encountered in the street. Still, not knowing where she was, she was rightfully frightened. Slowly turning her head, she was met with dark impassive eyes that stared at her. His jaw was chiseled, sculpted precisely to please the eyes. His face pale, but not in the way that showed a weakness in health. His hair, as if tossed and styled by the wind, was dark, the same shade as his eyes. 

He was beautiful.

And he was wearing something that completely matched the aesthetic she’d inferred the whole house embodied.

Not receiving an answer from the wide eyed woman, his feet made their way to where she stood, behind his desk. They were a few feet apart.

Mentally shaking herself, Sakura opened her mouth to speak, her voice coming out hoarsely. “Where am I?”

“My estate.”

She bit the corner of her lip. “Which is… where, exactly?”

Her eyes were big, irises a sparkling emerald. “An answer for a question.” One hand tucked into his trouser pocket.

She blinked. “What?”

“Why were you in the Charmed Forest?”

“Charmed For-” She squinted. “Why does that sound familiar?”

Uniquely painted tresses, bizarre clothing, and an unfamiliar way of speech, Sasuke figured it corresponded with her nicely. Perhaps he would not regret bringing her here. “It was where we found you, unconscious.”

The letter. He was referring to her. 

But she didn’t know how to answer his question. How in the world did she end up in a forest? ‘ _I’m in deeper shit than I thought. Something tells me I have to answer a lot more carefully now.’_

“I… don’t remember.”

He raised a suspicious brow. “Memory loss? The healer didn’t mention this.” Perhaps it was because of her large chakra storage. The healer he had brought with him was not a high ranking one. He didn’t think he needed someone like that on a trip he’d made numerous times before. 

‘ _Healer?’_ She looked down. ‘ _Did I hit my head harder than I thought? Pulse… Normal. My internal organs feel normal, no odd sensations. Did I drink more alcohol than I thought? No, that’s not it. The only plausible symptom of hallucinations I had was the headache, but my head’s fine.’_

Sasuke watched with curiosity as the woman looked to be stressing over something, her hands moving from her wrist to her stomach to her head. She was a lively one, but that could also be a sign of madness. But he had a strong sense of knowledge that that was not the case.

“Um, I’m sorry. I really don’t know how I got there.”

He nodded, his face not giving his thoughts away. As amusing as he found the situation, he still had to be cautious around this mysterious stranger. “You don’t recall anything at all?”

She shook her head. “Nothing but my name.”

He couldn’t tell if she was lying, but he’d watch her closely. “And that would be?”

A beat. “Sakura.”

No last name. 

“You said an answer for a question, but you’ve been doing most of the asking.”

He smirked. A bold one, she was.

She looked at him, determination took over her features. “Where am I?”

With folded arms, he responded. “The duke’s estate in the Mangekyo dukedom.”

Her face didn’t move, but her mind was a wreck. She somehow managed to ask another question. “And who are you?”

“An answer for a question,” he repeated, but she was not having it.

“Please.”

With the same expression she had seen him wear when he first entered the room, he waited a moment before replying. “Duke Uchiha of Susanoo.”

Her lips trembled as she took in a sharp inhale. This had to be a joke. There was no way.

‘ _A prank. Yes, someone’s trying to mess with me.’_ But no one she knew had enough money to pull something this grand. From what she’d seen, everything would be far too expensive to be worth pulling one over her. But it shouldn’t be possible.

Yet, her being unable to move, invisible to the people walking around her, should have been impossible too.

* * *

**A dream? No. This was too real to be one.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Itachi is King of the Kingdom of Susanoo. Sasuke was prince but since Itachi became king, he became Duke of the Mangekyo Territory of the Kingdom. Mikoto lives in her own palace in the Amaterasu Territory, the capital of the kingdom, but is vacationing in her beachside palace in the Izanagi Region. Kakashi is a viscount of the Sharingan Region, but was not originally from the Kingdom (to be explained later).
> 
> I will also be posting aesthetic collages and a playlist for this fic soon on my socials, so watch out for that! 
> 
> Tumblr (connectedfeelings)  
> Twitter (cxtwithclxws)
> 
> Tell me what ya think of the first chapter! Second chapter is probably gonna be next week since I'm very excited lol.


	3. Second: Young Lady or Madam?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura begins to realize that her situation is not a farce. Sasuke grows more curious. The servants spread the word as the two get to know each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last edit: 10/15/20
> 
> Tags: Romance, Isekai, Fantasy, Drama, Humor, Adventure, Slow Burn
> 
> Main Pairing: SasuSaku
> 
> Side Pairing(s): ItaIzu

Duke Sasuke Uchiha of the Mangekyo territory. Younger brother of Susanoo's king. A force known for his mercilessness in the battlefield, his brilliant mind, and his unapproachable front. Misunderstood to be void of emotions but was truly a man filled with intense passion hidden by a veil of immovable power. The same man who was supposed to only exist on printed words within a bound collection of pages.

' _A dream,_ ' her mind tried to apprehend. ' _It doesn't feel like one, but what other explanation could there be?_ '

He stared at her with quiet curiosity, mouth in a thin line as a thumb ran over his chin.

He was even more striking than described. She had a thought of how he would look like if he was someone she could actually meet, yet somehow, with him right in front of her, it exceeded her own imagination. Precisely cut jaw on a clear, unblemished face. Eyes clouded in mystery, dark and inquisitive. Hair longer than what she was used to seeing, but its deep dark strands was well styled, newly combed, she presumed, after days of it being windswept.

She was ogling, she realized, embarrassedly turning her head in an abrupt motion. ' _Now's not the time to gape, Haruno! You're either deep in a coma and this is a vivid hallucination or..._ ' What was the other option? By some miracle, she was alive, her body firmly intact with no injuries when her last memory involved her last thoughts being her weak and bloodied on a busy road. And a stranger who had pushed her. ' _Or somehow, this is all real._ '

Deep in her own thoughts, she failed to recognize his sharp focus aimed at her. The design of her bodice was intricate, white floral patterns sewn onto a lace fabric atop another white fabric that only covered her chest and torso, her arms visible through the patterned lace. Her skirt began at her waist in a straight line rather than a V shape, indicating she wore no corset, and it ended a few inches above her knees, showcasing shapely calves, untouched by injuries that one should have when laying on the forest ground after some time. Despite the unusual design of her ensemble, he came to the conclusion that the young woman had to have come from more than reasonable wealth. A design so intricate on her bodice meant that it was expensive. The skirt showed no signs of frayed fabric at the end seams, either, meaning it was finished in the most professional manner.

The more Sasuke scrutinized her, the more perplexing she became. The way she spoke, one would think she had no etiquette training, but with the amount of power that he sensed rested within her indicated to him a powerful family background.

An enigma, she was. An enigma that he was determined to solve.

With her chakra, she was someone to be wary of. He'd have to keep an eye on her. If he lets her leave the estate, there was a possibility she would return to someone with ill intent towards the royal family. He rubbed his temples. Perhaps it would have been safer to leave her be when he found her, but it was too late. He had brought her in, and now, he'd have to be watchful of her every movement.

He would have to ask Kakashi for aid in the matter, since it would not be possible to constantly watch over her and gather information about her at the same time with the work he already had to do. Knowing the viscount, he'd much rather do that than return to Sharingan. The older man enjoyed delaying work. It was a miracle that his own estate hadn't fallen to ruin.

First thing to do was determine if she was a threat. If not, he would think of what to do next once the matter was cleared.

Out of the silence, a sudden growling noise arose. Sakura's eyes flashed to her stomach, her hands covering it, visibly self-conscious. She was so busy trying to make sense of her situation that she did not register her growing hunger.

"Sorry," she said, her voice just above a whisper.

Undisturbed, he only nodded. "It's to be expected in the state we found you in." He made his way towards the door, stopping to look back at her when he realized she did not follow. "Come this way."

If he was going to uncover her secrets, some form of trust had to be established.

* * *

He walked a few feet in front of her as they made their way through the long, elegant hall to the dining area. The cooks prepared a meal for him and his traveling party, awaiting their return, knowing they must have been famished after the journey. It came as a shock to his servants when he arrived with a woman.

' _It's just a hallway_ ,' Sakura thought as she stared at the ceiling. ' _But why in the world would they need it lined with chandeliers?_ ' Albeit smaller than one would find in a grand hall, they were still a show of wealth, crystal pendalogues hanging from the gold arms intended to hold candles. Large windows lined the hall, giving natural light to the space. Everything about the hallway alone screamed splendor. However, it did not seem to match the Lord of the estate.

' _Right. He inherited the estate. He's more the type to leave things as is than to redecorate everything to his taste.'_ She thought as she looked forward, inspecting his broad shoulders. She chuckled to herself. There she was, ogling again.

It was not like she could help it. As confused as she was, the man was visually stunning. She'd spent years admiring his character that she allowed herself the moment to admire him.

The walk was spent in silence, though not awkward. Sakura was busy admiring the decor and Sasuke was in his head, thinking of ways to go forward with the situation. He would know if her intentions were of no malice, then the next objective was to get answers of her history. It puzzled him to no end. If the truth of her familial ties would not reveal itself, then perhaps, with her potential in power, she could aid the royal family's mages. He knew for sure he would not want her in the continent's guild of mages.

Two men stood at the opposite sides of the large door Sasuke had stopped in front of. Upon halting, the two men opened the door, revealing a large table that filled the middle of the room, a large chandelier hanging right above it. On the far right, a grey haired man sat. He had just set his cup down as the two entered.

Based on his appearance, light hair and a mask, Sakura knew it was Viscount Kakashi. As if she wasn't shocked enough by the duke's existence.

"Ah, so she wakes," he said.

Sakura followed Sasuke's lead. The duke stopped at the head of the table, and he motioned for her to sit on the seat opposite of the viscount. Kakashi watched as she sat. She did not curtsy upon seeing him. Was she a higher ranking noble? Or did she not have a care?

He looked at the young duke, curiosity sparked in his eyes. The duke's expression told him he would be briefed about it later on. It looked like he was about to stay in his dukedom longer than he had planned.

"Amassed an appetite, young lady?" Kakashi asked.

Sakura's lips rose in a small smile. "A little bit."

"It's not surprising you are. How long were you in the forest?"

Her shoulders went up in a shrug. "I don't know."

"It appears she cannot recall her memories," Sasuke explained before taking the knife and fork into his hands, slicing the piece of meat on his plate.

"Amnesia? Fascinating."

Sakura chuckled awkwardly. ' _Right, I said that._ ' Knife and fork in hand, she was eager to feed herself. With a piece of meat on her fork, she lifted it into her lips and let the rich flavors envelope her mouth, not expecting such a taste.

"You recall nothing at all?"

Shaking her head, she swallowed her food before speaking. "Only my name."

"Which is?"

"Sakura," the duke spoke once again.

Asleep, alone in the Charmed forest with her only memory being her first name. It seemed suspicious to the viscount. He'd have a lot of questions for Sasuke after their meal.

They continued their meals with only small moments of conversation, Sakura eager to fill her stomach. Once her plate was empty, she sighed, relaxing onto the chair. Kakashi found her movements amusing.

"I trust it was to your satisfaction?"

"Oh, definitely."

During their brief conversations over their meal, the duke and the viscount studied her way of speech. Informal and chaste, she did not care for lengthy responses. It was refreshing, the viscount found. A contrast to the duke's blunt and proper speech, a trait he was raised on because of his status. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to stay in his dukedom longer to witness what was to happen. Somehow, he had a good feeling about what was to come.

"Ritsuko." Sasuke put his cloth napkin down.

The maid who was standing by the wall gave a short bow, stopping a distance away from where the duke sat. "Yes, Your Grace?"

"Prepare a bath for the young lady."

Ritsuko, the head maid, paused, her brows raising for a brief moment, surprised at the young duke's request. It was shocking enough to hear he had brought a woman to his estate, asleep in his arms. Was the young woman of a high rank? "Yes, Your Grace. Does the young lady come with a different set of garments?"

"No. She may use some of my mother's garments. I recall she has some left here in the estate in case she wanted to visit unexpectedly."

Allow the young woman to wear the Queen Mother's garments? It seemed the estate will amuse themselves with the new bit of gossip. Other maids that stood by the walls shared curious looks. Had His Grace saved this woman? Or perhaps, was she more important than that? The maids could barely suppress their giggles.

Sakura noticed it, however, and now, she was all the more conscious of herself. Looking down at her hands on her lap, she pursed her lips, racking her brain on how to continue. She had nowhere to go, and she had so many questions that she couldn't ask outright for fear of being called a lunatic. She had to tread carefully. She was lucky enough to be saved by Sasuke and not someone else. Who knows what else could have happened?

She knew they found her in the Charmed Forest, so piecing information together, she had appeared there after the car accident. But how? She couldn't just think she was hallucinating. Everything was too visceral that she could no longer deny her circumstances, but she still wasn't fully convinced. Until she was, she needed to trust her gut and stay out of trouble.

She wanted to ask one thing, though, and she figured it wouldn't be too odd to ask it, considering they appeared to believe she had amnesia. "I'm sorry, but what is today's date?"

Sasuke stood before responding, his eyes reflected back at him through hers. "The eighth of the Solar Crescent."

"A Crescent before the end of the year ball, exactly. Isn't that right, duke?" Kakashi added, the tone in his voice grew cheeky at the last sentence.

The duke glared at him, only to the viscount's amusement. "You need not remind me."

Judging from Sasuke's reaction, this meant it was the ball where his mother would fling wife candidates at her sons, as she did yearly. If it was a month before, and he was in his estate, it meant she was in the first book's early events. Itachi was to announce his engagement then.

' _Wait, the first book…_ ' Her eyes wandered to Sasuke. ' _That means in two years…_ ' Right, she had almost forgotten. The duke was meant to die. She bit the inside of her cheek, a conflict of emotions welled up within her.

* * *

_**Second: Young Lady or Madam?** _

* * *

As Ritsuko guided Sakura outside of the dining room to where she was to bathe, Kakashi and Sasuke took a stroll in the halls, finding their way back to the duke's office to discuss matters in private.

Kakashi took a seat on one of the leather seats. "So we know nothing but her name."

"For the moment, yes."

"But her chakra levels tell us she's not just a commoner who had found herself lost in the Charmed Forest."

Sasuke looked at his shelves of books, walking slowly until he found the specific book he was looking for. "The intricacy of her clothing also suggests wealth." Taking the book off of the shelf, he walked to his desk, opening it before sitting down.

Kakashi hummed. "And what do you have planned?"

"We cannot just let her roam free with the power she has."

"In other words, you intend to keep her in your estate." Kakashi figured as much. "I suspect you want me to keep her company, so to speak, when you are not able?"

"We need to know her intentions." Sasuke flipped the book's pages. "Once we know what those intentions are, then we can discuss what to do with her."

Kakashi smiled. "Or, you could do what you would commonly do in these situations."

Sasuke looked up from the page to stare quizzically at the viscount.

"Ordinarily, you wouldn't have brought her into your estate. If anything, you would have disposed of her already."

"What exactly are you insinuating, old man?"

"I've known you long enough to understand that this isn't mere wariness from you. You're intrigued."

"Naturally, as anyone would be in such a circumstance."

"And you think that this is worth your time to decipher. A rare occurrence outside of battle."

Sasuke sighed. "Enough with your wordplay. Speak your mind."

"No need to be so curt." Kakashi shook his head, amused. "I just find it entertaining to see you so intrigued by a woman."

So this was what he was insinuating. Sasuke had no time for this. "Are you not?"

"Certainly."

"Then what is so amusing?"

The viscount had so many things he could say as a response but chose to restrain himself. It would be better to see him realize for himself as time went on. He considered himself lucky to witness the situation so early on.

Sasuke looked back on the page he had stopped on and sighed. "Apart from her chakra levels, her appearance in the forest unscathed reminded me of something."

"What would that be?" Kakashi stood and walked to the duke's desk, looking at the page.

" _And on the eleventh Crescent, a gift would be bestowed by the gods, a bewitching power to the land. However, as are all gifts, a caveat was placed. If found by the wrong hands, the healing force would turn deadly, bringing terror to those caught in its path._ " The duke read.

"I did not think you had any interest in the old religion."

"I do not, however, it was part of my education as a young prince."

"The situation is eerily similar. We found her on the eleventh Crescent, she has an unknown power..." Kakashi considered it. "Still, it does sound quite preposterous."

"Preposterous, yes, however, it is not the only thing unusual to happen in the continent this last year." The Anbu Bureaucracy gaining considerably more power in the continent, the Land of the Lions head family removing the first daughter's title as heir, whispers of a union between the Suna Empire's only princess and the prince of the Kage Nui Dynasty. Numerous unlikely occurrences were surprising but did not necessarily mean it was all just a coincidence. The young duke had learned from an early age to be wary. "We need to pay particular attention to her. I have things to look after, so I am mostly unable to do so, which is why I need your aid."

Humming in agreement, Kakashi nodded. "I understand. What do you plan to do with her since she is confined to staying in the estate?"

"She may roam as she pleases, but I will have a small number of trusted servants be watchful of her, as well. If she is to go outside to the gardens for a stroll, I'd have Garuda also stay close."

"The magical attack hawk resigned to be a governess."

A sharp glare from the duke made him raise his hands in mock arrest.

"Will you notify Itachi of this?"

"I'll give him a vague description of the situation. My brother has his hands full with another matter at the moment."

"When does the king not have his hands full?"

Sasuke sighed. "This is a battle my brother has yet to win." He wondered if his brother had gotten the answer he wanted from a certain farmer's daughter.

* * *

Sakura had protested to having the maids bathe her like a child. She was twenty-two years old, not an infant and was entirely capable of cleaning herself. In her first moment of peace ever since she had awoken hours ago, she let herself relish in the rosey fragrance of her bath, finding it inside of herself to relax.

It was a dizzying few hours, to say the least, and she was still confused, however, she concluded that the best course of action for now was to go with the flow and be thankful that she was lucky enough to not have been killed on the spot.

She gathered her thoughts.

First, for some unknown, maybe cosmic reason, she's in the world of her favorite novel. Second, the duke found her in the Charmed Forest. Third, if she had guessed correctly based on the state of the duke's estate, she was in the early events of the first book, which meant that the king, Itachi Uchiha, was either about to ask Izumi to be his wife or Izumi had already said yes. Fourth, fortunately for her, Sasuke had found her not to be a threat, or an immediate threat, and is allowing her to stay safely in his home.

She bit the nail of her thumb. He had to be a little dubious about her. If that was the case, then he was keeping her in his estate to watch her. She couldn't blame him, with what was about to happen.

Abruptly, she sat up, causing some water to fall over the tub's edges. ' _Right! After Itachi announces his engagement, trouble starts with the Anbu Bureaucracy._ '

Some court members were not happy about his engagement to a commoner. One court noble, Rai, a distant relative of the main Uchiha family and an earl of the Hosenka territory, was particularly unhappy with the news. He had wanted his daughter, Naori, to become queen in order to grant their family more power. He planned early on for Naori to become close with Itachi when he was just a young prince and the two had grown to become friends. Only that was as far as the emotions went between them. Feeling furious, he had sided with the bureaucracy, the country's leader promising him more power.

The country's new ruler, Danzo, was known for his dislike for the royal family of Susanoo. Sakura considered him her least favorite character, feeling he was more of a nuisance than an actual threat. But that was how she felt based on paper. How would it truly be to live it?

Then, came another dilemma. What would happen if she were to change events? Would she never be able to get out? If she did get out, would she be laid on the road drenched in her own blood? About to dig a deeper hole of doubts inside her mind, she shook her head vigorously. ' _No, Sakura. Right now, your first and foremost adjective is to stay alive_.'

Once she got out of the tub, the maids helped her into the clothes Sasuke said belonged to his mother. The thought of it intimidated her.

"Um," she started, rather nervous. "Where are the clothes I came in with?"

"Your garments are to be washed, Madam," one maid, who looked to be younger than her said, stifling an excited giggle.

Sakura looked suspiciously at the two other maids that were hiding giggles, as well. The head maid, Ritsuko, however, gave them a scolding look that silenced them. "My apologies, My Lady. They're quite young and prone to excessive excitement."

With wide eyes, Sakura waved her hands in a motion indicating she did not mind. "Oh, it's totally fine."

Ritsuko's suspicious eyes squinted for a beat, the young lady's way of speech something she had not yet encountered. Perhaps she was of a different country. Maybe even a different continent. In any case, the Lord had deemed her a guest, and she would be treated as such. It was the first time their Lord had brought a woman to the estate. And he held her in his arms when they arrived, as she had heard from the knights. Perhaps the Young Lady could possibly really be their future Madam. It was too early for that, however, and they were lucky enough that the Young Lady was merciful. She made a mental note to properly teach the young maids how to behave in front of a guest later.

"Pardon my question, My Lady?" Another maid asked as she began tightening Sakura's corset. Sakura thought her undergarments were good enough for her, but she knew it could be scandal inducing if she said that out loud. It was a foreign feeling for Sakura, but it was not as terrible as she thought it would be. Maybe those actresses in period dramas were being overdramatic.

Sakura looked at the girl, her eyes kindly telling her to ask whatever was on her mind.

"Your garments are quite unusual. The bodice had no corset, yet it appears like it was crafted by an expert dressmaker. The length of your skirt was also not typical, as well."

Ritsuko glowered at the maid, the maid appearing scared afterwards.

"I said it was fine to ask," Sakura attempted to quell the discomfort. This was going to be something she had to get used to. "And, truthfully, I cannot recall who my dressmaker is, if that is what you're asking."

Four pairs of eyes looked at her, their curiosity spiked.

"You don't recall."

"Truthfully, I don't recall anything but my name."

* * *

**She was but a name,  
A name important enough for his attention.**

* * *

As the three young maids left the room, head maid Ritsuko the one to accompany the Lord's guest to the garden, they spoke to each other in hushed tones.

"She has no memories. Oh, the poor thing."

"Where could she have met the duke?"

"I happened to hear from the knights that they found her asleep in the Charmed Forest."

"The Charmed Forest?!"

"Shh!"

"Our duke saved her?"

"Perhaps, he knows her."

"Truthfully, it's the only plausible explanation of him aiding her."

"Oh, no, what if the duke was old friends with Young Lady Sakura and is heartbroken she does not remember!"

"Lord Sasuke is quite secretive. Do you think it could be more than friendship?"

"If so, the poor duke."

"Do you think Her Majesty, the Queen Mother, knows?"

"My cousin works in the Queen Mother's palace. Perhaps she would know!"

"I never thought the estate would become this lively!"

"I know! It's very exciting."

The three continued to gossip, and their words spread throughout the estate, growing curiosity surrounding the Young Lady's origins beginning to be the only thing the servants would want to talk about.

* * *

Sasuke was always talented in political work and maintaining his land's finances, but that did not mean that he enjoyed the endless amount of things he needed to review and sign. Complaints from nobles were his least favorite. It was always all too tedious and mind numbingly slight, most of the complaints he received either asked for more funds for their estate that they tried to mask as 'aid for the poor of our area' or complaints over land that truly did not belong to them.

A cough reminded him of the man he had made wait in front of him.

Placing his quill down, he looked at the man of similar age as him, his eyes purple, his hair white. "Apologies. I have a lot to finish."

"I did not mind the minutes I stood here silently."

His words were met with an intense glare. "For a mere knight to speak to a duke this way would mean a great offense in other dukedoms."

"You are no mere duke, though, Your Grace." A cheeky grin. Sasuke truly had to stop letting him run his mouth so callously. "What did request my presence for, Your Grace?"

"I need you to gather information on someone."

He rubbed his hands together in interest. "Finally. Something exciting to do. Which royal do you want information on, Your Grace? Anbu's head of state? Perhaps, a member of the Lions' head family?"

Sasuke shook his head, a finger rubbing his left temple. "So eager to start illegal gathering of information?"

"Hasn't stopped you asking me to do so before."

Another glare. Sasuke decided Suigetsu needed a mage to remove his tongue. Not now, but if he wouldn't do it, he didn't doubt someone else would. The man was talented in spying, but terrible at the silence aspect of the job. The duke was surprised he was never caught.

"The only thing we know about her is that her name is Sakura. Pink hair, green eyes."

"The woman they say you found in the Forest?" Suigetsu was not in the travelling party to Amaterasu. He was left in the estate, so when he heard from his fellow knights what had happened, he hadn't thought much of it. Sure, it was unusual for the duke to bring home a woman, but he was not as heartless as people thought.

Sasuke nodded. He figured the knights would have told him. "Based on her appearance, she has to be of some import. Look for anything that could lead to more information about her background."

"She must be quite a woman for you to be so curious."

"A woman unconscious in the Charmed Forest, a few miles away from my own estate, and you do not think this warrants investigation?"

Suigetsu raised his hands up. "I meant no offense. But you are right. You cannot ask her these things yourself?"

"She's said to have amnesia."

Memory loss. Question after question. "Anything else? There must be something that made you come to the decision to have her in your estate."

"Chakra."

One word.

It was only one word, but it's meaning was too powerful. He would not bat an eye if she had a measly amount of the power source. That meant only one thing.

"I see." Suigetsu smirked, suddenly invested in finding answers. "That means she's from a noble family or a mage guild."

Sasuke nodded. "That is your job."

' _This is going to be fun._ ' Suigetsu bowed and left the room. He had all the information he needed. Pink hair was incredibly rare in the continent, the gift of chakra limited only to those born with it. He had a few key places in mind to start his investigation.

Sasuke stood from his seat, having enough of endless minor incidents that needed no second glance. Some nobles thought so highly of themselves and yet did not do a sufficient enough job regarding their duties.

Once he was named Duke of Mangekyo, he made it his mission to get the nobles in the territory in line. In five years, the Mangekyo territory had improved immensely, but he was not finished. He did not care for fake pleasantries. He preferred to speak his mind. and demand what was expected. As duke and younger brother to the king, none dared to talk back. But he knew there were those who did not like him. He did not care. Being liked was an important part of his brother's job, not necessarily his own. So he did what he thought must be done.

He caught a glimpse of pink. His feet led him in front of the window as he observed his guest walk with Ritsuko. She was certainly more energetic than he would have thought. Her mouth moved quickly as she spoke words he could not hear. Her smile was easygoing, her eyes bright with wonder and curiosity. Even from afar, her presence demanded attention.

Perhaps it was the hair. Or maybe the brightness in her skin. Or the power she possessed deep within her.

He looked at her, inspecting. Did he truly believe she had no memories? It felt too convenient, but he had no proof to back his suspicions. As of the moment, she seemed harmless. But it could be how she wanted to appear.

He made his way to the door facing the gardens. It was enough observing. He needed to understand her. And for him to be able to, he needed to get close.

* * *

Ritsuko stopped and bowed, making Sakura confused at the sudden movement, but as soon as she saw the approaching figure, she understood.

' _Wait, do I have to bow, too?_ ' Unsure of what to do, she decided to give a little curtsy, her eyes raising to meet his as he looked at her inquisitively. ' _Shit, did I do it wrong? This place has too many rules of formality, I don't know how people do this.'_

"I see that you've rested well."

Sakura stood back up. "Yes. Thank you, by the way. I don't think I thanked you for letting me stay here yet."

He said nothing and proceeded to walk ahead. When he noticed she had not moved from her spot, he looked back. Sakura, understanding what he meant, quickly walked to his side.

"Ritsuko."

"Yes, Your Grace?"

"You may leave. I will accompany Lady Sakura."

She bowed once more, and the two began their stroll. It was silent for the first few minutes, but Sakura did not find it uncomfortable. She simply enjoyed the sight of the beautiful flowers and greenery that made the garden.

"The garden is to your liking, I presume?" To her surprise, Sasuke spoke.

"Ah, yes. It's very beautiful. You've done well."

"I do not tend to the garden. Your compliments are misplaced."

"Don't you oversee the estate's affairs?"

He raised a brow. "You do not recall your background but can recall how an estate is run?"

' _Shit.'_ She couldn't let him get to her. Instead of being visibly shaken, she simply shrugged. "It's a funny thing. I seem to remember certain things, but nothing that can help me understand what happened to me."

"And what could those things be?"

' _Every good lie has glimmers of truth_.' She looked at his profile with caution. His eyes did not stray from their path. "Things like how to eat and, vaguely, how to dress come back to me with no problem. My name. But there is one thing I can't seem to understand. A blinding light."

"Blinding light?" He parroted. "Hm."

"It's what I last saw in my dreams before waking up," she said as she inwardly hoped he believed her. It wasn't entirely a lie. The headlights _were_ blinding.

The two followed the path and took a right turn, the gazebo in the middle of the garden their destination as they continued.

"Do you know where you are?" He asked.

"The kingdom?" She said like it was a question. "I overheard the maids earlier."

' _So this, she appears not to know_.' It was all too coincidental. "I see."

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek, wondering if she should ask. "I know I'm kind of being a bother right now, so thank you again for letting me stay here. If I could ask, what month and year is it?"

"Month?" His brows furrowed in confusion. "Are you referring to the year's Crescent?"

' _How could I forget?'_ She chastised herself. ' _This is why I don't read fantasy too often. Why do these writers need to overcomplicate everything?!'_

"It's the Solar Crescent, the eleventh Crescent of the year 1128."

Her guess was right. She was in the first book. Nodding at his reply, she looked down.

"Were the maid to your liking?"

Surprised by his sudden question, she responded with "Yes." A smile lifted her lips. "They were nice, but they refused to call me by my name." She had tried to convince them to not refer to her so formally, but they hadn't budged. As the duke's guest, it meant she was of higher status to them.

"It's only natural for them to refer to you as they should," he said, a hand buried into his trouser pocket.

"I know, but it feels a little unusual for them to call me Madam."

His feet halted. "Madam?"

She stopped, as well, looking at him with puzzled eyes. "Yeah. What? Was it wrong of them?"

He didn't know if she was jesting or if she truly did not know or remember. Sighing rather frustratedly, he shook his. "Never you mind. Ritsuko will have a word with them."

She asked why it was wrong, but he refused to answer.

* * *

**Whispers of interest,  
Suggestive smiles.**

**The duke and the lady, a cut above the rest.**

* * *

After their stroll in the gardens, he accompanied her to the room she was staying. The sun had gone down and the moon was slowly making its appearance over the horizon. Sakura said the meal she had earlier was filling enough and that she had no need for dinner, opting to retire to her room for the rest of the night instead.

As the two walked the halls, curious servants watched from afar as the two passed them by. Sakura hadn't noticed, it appeared, but Sasuke felt the prying eyes. He cared not for gossip, and he knew it was inevitable considering the situation, but he had to admit it was an irritant.

"Your estate is huge." Sakura did not understand the purpose of its size, but that was just her. It was normal for the duke. "How do you navigate through the place?"

"Navigate is an interesting choice of word," he remarked. "It is not difficult. I only truly have to be familiar with my wing."

' _His 'wing'.'_ Sakura scoffed inwardly. Truly, royalty were a different breed. She knew it wasn't much of a choice for him, though. "Do you like it, though?"

"Like what?"

"Your home."

"It provides me shelter. That is all I need."

"If that was the case, would you have been accepting of a smaller home?"

"It does not matter much to me."

As to be expected. She already knew him well, but to hear him say things like that excited her. She tried to hide a grin.

"Find something amusing?"

"Yes," she answered truthfully. "You."

"Me?"

She nodded.

"That is one description most would say is ill fitting."

"You strike me as someone who doesn't care what other people think."

The corner of his lip rose.

"Am I correct?"

"I did not know amnesiacs were good judges of character."

"How many amnesiacs have you met, then?"

"One, and I find she's not afraid to ask such vexing questions."

"Vexing? Me?"

They had arrived at her door, and he turned to face her, him having to look down since he was a head taller. "What word would you use to describe yourself then?"

"Curious," she answered truthfully.

Smirking, he looked at her determined emerald eyes. "Curious?"

She nodded.

"How amusing, considering that's how I'd describe myself these past few hours." He opened her door and peered closer to her face. "Have a good evening, Sakura."

Just like that, he walked away without a second glance, rather enjoying the redness that bloomed in her cheeks just before he left. He did not realize that he left her with a pounding heart, as well.

* * *

The maids came back in soon after, having been told that she wanted to retire for the night by the duke himself. They helped her out of her clothes and into a nightgown, white and loose. It was a lot more comfortable for Sakura.

"How was your stroll with His Grace, My Lady?" The same maid that had asked her the first question earlier spoke. Sakura noticed the change in title.

"It was…" she trailed off to find the right word. "Illuminating."

The maids' brows perked up.

"Illuminating?" One repeated.

Sakura nodded. "Yes. The duke is less intimidating than I thought."

Their moods deflated after that sentence, and Sakura couldn't comprehend why. "Did I say something wrong?"

They shook their heads. "No, My Lady." They all seemed more relaxed without Ritsuko in the room.

"I'm curious about something. You called me 'Madam' earlier. Why are you calling me 'My Lady' now?"

"We misspoke, My Lady. We were scolded by Head Maid Ritsuko, and we apologize if we caused you uncomfort."

"What's the difference between the two titles?"

The maids shared looks of concern mixed with apprehension. They all shared the same thoughts. The poor Young Lady's amnesia must be worse than they realized. "You are the duke's guest, so you are to be referred to as Lady."

"What did 'Madam' mean, then?"

"Madam is what we would refer to the Lady of the House."

' _Lady of the House… Lady of the House?!'_ Her mouth fell open. ' _They thought he and I-'_

"We apologize, My Lady. We hope we didn't offend you."

She shook her head, her mouth still slightly ajar before speaking. "No, it's fine. Just… Don't do it again." She didn't want to cause misunderstanding. ' _Wait! I told Sasuke about this earlier. Fuck, is that why he was confused?'_

Sakura really needed to familiarize herself with the world's etiquette.

Once Ritsuko returned with another maid who brought a tray of tea in case she felt thirsty, she thanked them and told them she'd be fine for the rest of the night. In all honesty, she just wanted time to herself.

Her room was on the second floor and had a balcony facing the garden, so she decided to open the doors and enjoy the night breeze. Finally some time to herself. Ever since she woke, the only time she had some alone time was her brief bath. It was a lot to digest, so she was shocked that it didn't frighten her as much as she thought it would.

But now, alone on a balcony, she let herself be unguarded. She thought of everything and nothing. She felt a cacophony of emotions to the point of being overwhelmed. But she knew she couldn't dwell too long in that feeling. If she woke up and she was still in this world, she knew she'd have to do what she can to stay on the duke's good side. It meant her survival.

As hard as she fought it, she felt a tear escape her, the rush of emotions too strong. She was always prone to tears, never trying too hard to fight it. Sakura thought it healthy to let the tears run, but right now, she wasn't too sure. It was an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar surroundings. She had to be cautious. The wall she let crumble for the moment built itself back up.

She hated feeling like she had to depend on someone. Her parents had taught her to be self-sufficient, and she loved being independent. But here, in a world she was inexperienced in, she knew she had to sacrifice that feeling just a little bit. Just until she can make sense of what happened to her.

Maybe Sasuke would know, but what could she say to him? He would think her a lunatic if she told him the truth. So right now, her main objective was staying alive. Somehow, she'd been given a second chance at it. And to survive, she'd need to get closer to the duke.

She spent a few more moments admiring the garden from above. And just like that, stars had begun appearing in the sky, littering it with glittering diamonds illuminating the dark background. Unbeknownst to her, the very duke she had been thinking about, her mind scattered with ideas on how to befriend him, was looking at her from below, out on the patio from his office with a clear view of her balcony.

* * *

" **Why would you do that?"**

" **It needed to be done."**

" **All this for a measly duke."**

" **He is one who holds a key to this continent's salvation."**

" **Then, wouldn't you want him gone?"**

" **Not until I get what I want."**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyaaa, chapter 2 with some ss banter~
> 
> I'm so excited to hear that you guys are interested because I thought this wouldn't be as well received but this has been something I wanted to put out for a while!
> 
> That being said, though, I did receive 2 guest reviews that I have since deleted that were quite rudely demanding (demanding NOT asking) me to update Eternal and said something a little offensive. I understand that you guys are waiting excitedly for the next update, but I have already stated how I've reached a writer's block regarding that fic and am waiting to feel motivated to write a chapter that isn't just subpar. Keep in mind I do this for free and I appreciate all of your kind feedback, but I draw the line and rudeness.
> 
> Anyway, I hope y'all are keeping safe and are staying masked!
> 
> \- Mika


	4. Third: Compulsions of a Duke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duke Sasuke escorts Sakura into the city, and Sakura wonders why he would do so. As eyes focus on their appearance, Sakura finds out the reason behind the duke's fascination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last edit: 12/8/20
> 
> Tags: Romance, Isekai, Fantasy, Drama, Humor, Adventure, Slow Burn
> 
> Main Pairing: SasuSaku
> 
> Side Pairing(s): ItaIzu

_Dear little brother,_

_This woman you speak of, you say you found her in the Charmed Forest? I assume with the lack of a second letter and no whispers of misdeeds and mishaps in Mangekyou that she has not yet shown threat towards you nor the kingdom. With the power you say she possesses, however, I would prefer you do as you already have and maintain your keen observation on her. As it is now, it would be better to be more prepared than unprepared. I say that because I have news of my own._

_The woman I told you about during your last visit, the very same I asked for her hand, has accepted my proposal. By the time this letter reaches you, I should have already spoken to the court. Depending on the situation, I assume the rumors will spread before I formally announce it to the kingdom. I expect dissent from a few in the court and perhaps some in the kingdom, but my decision will not be swayed._

_Until next you visit, I should hope your meeting with her will be a pleasant one._

_Signed,_

_Your dear older brother._

__

* * *

**A need to protect, a desire to know** **  
****Plans to be made and acted upon**

* * *

A week had passed, and Sakura was still finding her bearings. Though she was knowledgeable about the world and her surroundings, more than she should be, actually living in it was a big change to get used to. Having people around constantly asking to do things for her was also another foreign experience. They seemed to feel the same way about her insisting she can do such things on her own, so a compromise was made. She’d ask for help when needed and told them she’d do so more often than when asking for help in putting on her garments. There were far too many layers for her to truly know how to do it on her own, so accustomed to the ease and simplicity of her usual attire. Still, she admired the beauty of its design, of the hand embroidered trims and it's beautiful, vibrant colors. The corset was one of the few things that she was pleasantly surprised about, having often seen complaints from actresses in interviews about their period films. An exaggeration, it would seem. Maybe they didn’t have the proper undergarments on. 

Finally finished dressing her, Suki, one of the three maids the duke had assigned to her, inspects the young woman with her hands on her hips, a smile emerging, signalling her satisfaction. “You look absolutely beautiful, my lady.”

Yet another thing she had to get used to, the formality in how everyone addressed her. Being a guest of the duke, she’s to be treated as nobility, despite not knowing who she truly was, or where she came from. She wondered why he was being so nice to her. The character she read on page was more cutthroat, detached and hard to grasp in front of others, some considering him too intimidating to approach. Yet here she was, a stranger welcomed in his house with open arms. Was he up to something? She was sure he was in one way or another keeping a close eye on her to see if she was dangerous, which she definitely didn’t think she was. She was just a woman lost in a place she had thought was fictional. Of course, she could rule this as a hallucination. After all, last she remembered, she was just about to be hit by a car. But she knew that everything she was experiencing was real, there was no use denying it even with how ludicrous the whole situation was. And there was that person that pushed her, spoke to her before disappearing, then reappearing to have her fall to her demise. 

Her demise… Could this be the afterlife? But why would the afterlife take place in a fantasy world she had just been reading about? Having had a week to allow herself to process, she had been marauded by thoughts, theories about her arrival in the continent of Konoha. But regardless of all of it, she still hadn’t come any closer to a solution. All she knew and resigned herself to accepting was that she would survive. If this was a second chance at life, then she would make sure she won’t be frozen to the spot the next time she was faced in a situation like she was on that street.

She would have to ask Sasuke- no, His Grace, the Duke, for something to write with. After all, he seemed to believe she had amnesia. That didn’t mean she was incapable of reading and writing. From the letter on his desk upon waking up in his home, she knew she was capable of reading the language miraculously. It was a little funny to her, for the world to seem so European inspired but the names and the writing to be Japanese. That was the beauty of fantasy, she supposed, the creativity and the possibility of anything to happen. Such was her predicament.

“Are you looking forward to seeing the city, my lady?” Namie, the youngest of her lady’s maids, asked, her hands meeting in a clap. “Typically, you’d need not to leave the estate and the dressmaker would come here, but the duke insisted you see what Mangekyou has to offer.”

“You sound pretty excited when talking about the duke.” Sakura noted with amusement.

“Why would we not, my lady?” Suki chimed in. “It is not common for our duke to take such keen attention on a guest, especially when the guest is a woman not of his blood.”

‘ _That’s only because my circumstances are weird,’_ she thought.

“And it’s even more uncommon for him to personally give a tour of the city.” Aiko, who had begun brushing Sakura’s long pink tresses, added. “Are you certain you do not want to style your hair more elaborately, my lady?”

She shook her head carefully. “No, keeping it down is how I prefer it actually. Maybe a loose braid if you keep insisting on a more kept style?”

“A _loose_ braid?” Aiko considered it. “Kept down?”

“Yes.”

Aiko had been a maid the longest compared to the other two lady’s maids, and never had she heard such a request. Granted, their lady was an odd one to begin with. The garments she arrived in were sparse compared to what she was wearing now, but it was excellently made. There was no doubt with her clear skin and unblemished face that she was of nobility, the only things that could dispute that were her slightly rough hands and her way of speech, that of which made her a more interesting woman and in a way, possibly more appealing to the duke.

He had never held such keen attention on a woman before, not in the years she had been working in the estate. He was not short of admirers, however. With his darkly charming looks and status, it should come to no surprise, though there were some that deemed him too difficult to hope for even a chance at his affections. That didn’t stop the others who did their best to at least strike a conversation with him in public events where his attendance was needed. It was hard to encounter him elsewhere after all. The duke preferred his peace and quiet compared to the festivities of balls and parties. But it couldn’t be helped, and he was required to attend a number of them. 

Knowing all of this, Duke Uchiha’s decision to escort his guest around his domain was a cause of excitement for the lady’s maids. To be seen by the city with a woman as beautiful as Lady Sakura would be enough for rumours to spread all over, not just Mangekyou, but the kingdom. Perhaps even the continent! Aiko wanted the lady to look polished and presentable. Though, as she places the finished loose braid on her right shoulder, and looks at her reflection, she thinks that it may not be as terrible as she thought. It was still kept, framed her face well, and gave attention to her uniqueness. Perhaps the lady may start a trend of sorts.

With a bright smile, Sakura turns to her maids with a smile. “Alright. Let’s go.”

* * *

**_Third: Compulsions of a Duke_ **

* * *

Sasuke stopped in front of the carriage, adjusting his collar as he turned to face the front of his estate. Choosing to forgo his hat, never a fan of the accessory in the first place, he stood beneath the cloud-filled sky that shielded everyone from the blinding late morning sun. Kakashi stood beside him, checking his pocket watch for the time before carefully placing it in his waistcoat pocket.

“You do not have to personally escort the lady,” he said, amused. “Are you going out of your way to spread the already growing rumours?”

Sasuke did not reply. He was aware Kakashi already knew the reasoning of his decision to openly prance around with an unmarried woman. His brother was about to announce his engagement, and to help ease the ridicule he and his fiancée were about to face, he was going to direct some rumours to himself. It sounded terrible, to bring her into this mess. However, it would help two of his objectives. One, of course, to lessen the judgmental reactions towards his brother’s choice of bride. Two, to uncover the mystery that was Sakura. No last name. Just Sakura.

Suigetsu had spent the week going all over Mangekyou, to mage guilds, investigating nobles, and have not found anything of interest as of yet. So he was to begin venturing out of the duke’s domain and, if he still were not to find answers in the Kingdom, he’d most likely go to the Senju Empire next, since the Empire had close relations to the Kingdom. This was all due to the duke’s growing curiosity of the woman, not solely suspicion as it was when he had first found her.

Having shared meals with her for the week, she was a refreshing conversation partner. She had a wit about her, unafraid to speak her mind during conversations he and Kakashi would share about topics on the more serious side. She still was unfamiliar with the Kingdom’s customs and politics, it would seem, so those were the subjects of her questions. She had amnesia, after all. Or so she said. Though still suspicious of her, he grew more suspicious of the truth of her condition. 

Sasuke had spent some of the week reading on amnesia, and though the matter of the mind was still one that was hard to fully grasp, it was heavily researched on. There were theories that amnesia was mostly caused by a harsh impact on the head, but when he found her on the forest floor, there was no sign of blood or injury on her person. That would mean one of three things: she already had amnesia before going unconscious, she was injured in a way that her head did not bleed and someone attacked her in the forest, or she was lying. If the latter was untrue, why was she in the Charmed Forest to begin with? It’s hardly the place to wander about, let alone wander as far as she had.

She displayed no ill will, however it could all be a ruse to get close to the duke and those close to him. Sasuke knew this was a very likely possibility, with his status and notoriety. He’s made enemies, people who disliked his governance, disagreed with his family’s politics, but they were few and far between, most he assumed weren’t intelligent enough for a ruse such as this. But perhaps, he was trying to reason himself out of things. The woman did not seem like the type to willingly participate in a coup. Things do change, however. His deductions now may very well change in the coming future. All he could do now was observe.

His ponderings cease for the moment as his front doors open and out comes the woman in question. Still wearing his mother’s garments, the familiar red ensemble looked different than it had on his dear mother. While on the Queen Mother, it was still beautiful, exuded a more regal and sophisticated impression, on Sakura, with her softer features and the unique pairing of her eyes and hair, it felt brighter, radiated a friendlier aura around her, more approachable, the opposite of his disposition to others. He couldn’t help but watch her as she went down the steps, careful of her steps, as if she was not used to the length. Judging from her clothes when he had first seen her, that would probably be the case. Another question he had yet to find an answer for concerning this woman, incomparable to perhaps all he had met.

She stopped before him, her lady’s maids behind her bowing as she stood, head tilted and with the now familiar soft smile that graced her lips, a glimmer of an excitement peeks in her eyes. “Did you wait long, Your Grace?”

The week she had been with him, she began calling him as such, but there were times when she would slip and almost call him by his first name. Thankfully, it only occurred on their one other stroll in the gardens after their first and when he was walking her to her chambers after supper. 

“No.” A simple reply. 

Sasuke stepped to the side, and the footman proceeded to open the carriage. With the duke’s hand out to the lady, Sakura lifts her skirt up slightly as she steps up and enters it, the duke following after. Kakashi only watched the duke with fascination. 

Tasked with observing the mysterious nymph-like lady as per his request, he hadn’t picked up on mistrustful behavior, albeit her peculiarity. Not to say he thought that the woman had nothing to hide. In fact, he thought the opposite. He thought she was hiding something big and suspected the duke felt the same. Perhaps this trip was to observe her in a different setting apart from his main objective which he was sure involved his brother.

As the carriage began moving, he stood there, eyes up towards the sky as a single bird flew across his vision. Change was in the air.

* * *

**“Things are going along smoothly.”**

**“Too smoothly.”**

**A hush. “It will all be in our favor.”**

* * *

“So what made you want to go out?” Sakura asked, hands placed on her lap watching the man seated across from her.

“There are things I have to do.”

She fought the urge to laugh. “Do you have to be so vague?”

“I don’t think going out of my home should require a reason, should it?”

He had a point. She shrugged. “I just assumed you didn’t go out much.”

“As Duke, I try to go out and see my territory with my own eyes.”

This surprised her. Though he was a prominent character in the books, more focus was put on his brother and his bride than the duke himself. Based on what she knew about his character, she thought her assumption was right. “You do?”

With a single nod, he gave her his answer before turning his head to view the passing greenery and curious people on the road, bewildered at the sight of the duke’s very own carriage. Most only stared, a few gaped, some stopped and spoke excitedly to whomever they were with. It would be something new for the city folk. The duke rarely made a public appearance, but what he told Sakura was not a lie. He would often go out into the territory in disguise to prevent attention, to observe what his domain truly was like without pretenses. Anything he’d find needed changing, he would work upon immediately. He was not as detached as described. He just did not care for the protocol and the frivolity that his position usually brought upon him were he to show his presence so callously.

“What’s with that look?”

Her voice broke him out of his deep thoughts, his eyes darting to her petite frame. Her inquiring gaze and the slight tilt upward of the corner of her pink lips made him stop. It was as if she was amused by him, and he couldn’t comprehend why. “What is it?”

“You looked really deep in thought,” she said. “I thought your face was going to be stuck in a focused scowl.”

“A scowl,” he repeated.

“You know, the deep frown, the furrowed brow, the intense gaze into the distance.”

“Are you mocking me?” He didn’t sound offended, moreso slightly irritated.

If she was affected, she did not show it, only laughing at his tone. “No, you don’t have to be so stiff. I was just wondering what has your mind in such a tizzy.”

“Tizzy?” He raised a brow. “Your vocabulary is odd.”

“What I mean to say is that you look agitated.” She tilted her head. “Does it have anything to do with the fact you’re personally escorting me out into your dukedom?”

“You have the impression that something is awry?”

“A little bit. I mean, you’re a duke. And I’m a strange woman, unmarried as far as I can remember, and as you know, I don’t remember much.”

“You do not remember much and yet you can recall formalities that a noble would know.”

“I have amnesia, but I’m not so much incapacitated. I may not recall my own history, but there are commonalities that are more habits than memories.”

“It leads me to think importunity one of said habits.”

“Is it not normal for someone without much recollection to ask questions?” Her smile shifted to teasing. “Or are you perhaps trying to offend me to change the subject at hand, Your Grace?”

“With a smart mouth such as yours, one would be sure you’re a noble, but your unabashedness reads more like commonfolk.”

“And you’re stalling.” She leaned back onto the seat, though with visible uncomfort, as if the corset hindering was hindering ease. He took note of it. He thought back to what she wore when he met her, corset free and quite revealing for Konoha standards. He’d have to tell Suigetsu that piece of information to aid in his research, the possibility of her originating from a different continent growing more and more plausible. 

“So?” She waited for an answer.

“As I’ve said, it’s something I must do.”

“But there’s something pushing you to do so. Why else do you look so troubled?”

“You’re but a stranger.”

“A stranger you’ve let into your home and show no signs of letting go on her own because of her situation.” She fluttered her lashes as her shoulders rose and fell in a shrug.

Yet another point made. Perhaps it’d be best to tell her if only to quell her inquisitive mind even for a moment. “Something is about to stir the kingdom. It’d be best to make an appearance to ease future tension.”

She nodded slowly, processing his words. Knowing the events that should take place, he’s referring to the king, his brother’s, upcoming nuptials. She remembered the court being divided in the matter, and there were some rumors by the people of Susanoo, but for the most part, they were happy. Dissent from Earl Rai and some other nobles in court made foul rumors spread within the joy but not enough to sour the kingdom’s glee. Was that what he was referring to? Why would he want to be seen out with an unknown woman? What would that do? Pull some of the disapproving eyes from the king to him, that’s what.

But that couldn’t be the reason. Sakura shook her head. Sasuke was far more composed than that. Of course, he was the quiet emotional type, but she didn’t think he would do something so rash. But then again, he didn’t have a mysterious woman in his home during the original events. She decided not to think much of it. If that truly was the case, she’d ask again in the future. She felt that if it was the case, she’d feel as though it was in exchange for the roof on her head and the hospitality she received from the estate. How she felt regarding the matter, she’d deal with when she found out the truth. For now, she’d just follow along and continue understanding the world around her and the man she should know inside and out, but being in the moment, she realized just how much of his life was hidden from the book.

The carriage stopped, signalling their arrival after the comfortable but somewhat heavy silence between them. The footman opened the carriage door, and Sasuke exited first, waiting by the side with a gloved hand out, awaiting her to step out. She moved, her head peeking out to see the city square, a patch of green grass and short trees in the middle of brick buildings and macadam roads and sidewalks where women with parasols shielded their heads from the bright sun, and groups of men shared quick conversations as they walked to their intended locations. She marvelled at the sense of bewilderment at the foreign sight, making her all the more aware of her being an outsider. It was one thing to read of such places, it was another to truly see it with her own eyes. 

Her eyes landed on Sasuke’s waiting hand, eyes flitting to his for confirmation. She saw the silent ‘yes’ in his eyes and hesitantly took his hand, the warmth of his glove on her skin making her cheeks flush despite herself. It wasn’t a big deal. It was only his hand. 

She walked down the single step out of the carriage and her feet were firmly on the ground. It was as she felt when she first came to a week ago and found herself in this environment, except now, there were more people with curious eyes laid upon them. Of course, with the black and gold carriage and the footman, and the man with such a presence with her, it would be cause for attention. She was beginning to think her earlier deduction might not be as far off as she thought.

Sasuke appeared beside her, elbow slightly up, his hand hovering above his chest, and looking at her, waiting. She casted him a puzzled look to which he responded with a small movement of his head to the direction of his waiting arm. It dawned upon her that he was waiting for her hand. Embarrassed and confused, she took a moment to quiet her thoughts and she lifted her hand, placing it on his upper arm, letting him finally lower it. 

He began walking, leading them to the building directly in front of them, as Sakura took note of the whispering passersby and the people agog to see who was most definitely the duke and the woman he displayed on his arm.

“What is this?” She whispered to him, her voice only for him to hear.

“I’m escorting you.”

“Well, duh, I understood that. But what’s with the hand in arm business?”

“‘ _Duh_ ’?” He said the word with mild disgust. “Again, your vocabulary astounds me.”

“Seriously, _Your Grace_. Aren’t you bothered by all the eyes just staring.”

“As Duke, I’ve grown accustomed to it.”

“Growing accustomed to something is different from liking it.” She sighed. “It’s also one thing to be seen with a woman, it’s another to be seen with a woman on your arm.”

“As I’ve said, it’s to ease coming tension.”

“This looks like gossip fodder to me.”

He doesn’t say another word. Sakura kept her eyes forward, but she couldn’t help but see the bonnets and headdresses upon the obviously upper class women unabashedly watching her, gloveless and bonnet-less. Maybe she should have agreed to Aiko’s updo suggestion. But there was no use regretting it now. Besides, she’d have felt more uncomfortable with such a style, the familiarity of her hair down giving her a sense of security and sense of self despite it all.

The storefront had windows that displayed mannequins with fabrics and designs adorned on it, displaying the designer’s capabilities to people passing by. Sakura’s eyes were drawn to the light green dress, the sleeves bearing what would be a woman’s shoulders. The doorman’s eyes were wide and startled to see the Duke before him, having seen his visage through portraits and paintings all over the city. To see him in the flesh, must have been something to experience. He gave a small bow, head down as he muttered, “Your Grace,” with excitement dripping in his voice. Sasuke gifted him with a nod and we proceeded our way into the dress shop.

It was evident to her that it was a dress shop reserved for nobility. Clean floors, colorful walls and fabrics so vibrant in color, they must have been expensive. A man appeared before them, hands met in a loud clap as he flashed his most grateful grin. “Your Grace.” He bowed. “May I just say it is an honor to have you in our presence.”

“Taiko.”

Taiko raised his head and his eyes landed on the woman by his side. “And who might this be?”

“Sakura.” He casted a glance her way to see the confusion hidden in her eyes. She knew how to mask emotions decently enough, however, being this close to her person, it was easy to tell. Lucky for them, Taiko would not have been able to guess. “She needs a few dresses and gowns.”

‘ _Gowns_ ?’ Her mind yelled. ‘ _What would I need a gown for_?’

Taiko clapped in excitement. “Oh, wonderful. We have a display of new designs I think could very well be the future of trends in the kingdom.” He motioned to the right and began walking, leading them to a corner where mannequins stood, similar to the ones on display by the window. 

With a flourish, he presented the designs to them. “If you have any suggestions, please do not hesitate to say so,” he looked at Sasuke with a questioning eye before questioningly saying, “Madam?”

‘ _Madam?_ ’ Sakura expected Sasuke to refute him, telling him he was wrong, but he didn’t. Instead, he said, “Taiko, if I could speak to you in private for a moment.” 

Taiko agreed, and Sasuke gently removed her hand from his arm. 

“What is happening?” She whispered, more like a hiss this time.

“I will be back in a moment.” He lifted her hand to his lips. Then, he whispered back, “When we return to the estate.” His lips left a kiss on her hand, making her take in a sharp breath, stunned by his actions. 

She could practically feel the interest from the people in the shop before he left her with one of the carriage footmen who accompanied them on the way. Trying to shake it off, she ignored the gawking and focused on the dresses.

There were six mannequins in front of her in total. The first from the left showed a bustle dress made with satin, a tailored jacket with black lace detailing and a stand collar, double layered skirt, the draped overskirt being plum colored, and a black flowing cotton underskirt with ruffles. The second a dress with a tailored cotton jacket colored yellow with a white button down at front and cotton wide sweeping skirt. Perhaps too wide for her liking but something normal for the world she was now in. The third mannequin displayed a white cotton blouse with slightly puffed sleeves and drawstring cuffs. A detached cincher with a long sash tied to a bow at the back shaped it well above the flowing blue tartan accent skirt. This she thought looked most comfortable. 

The last three mannequins were dressed in gowns, all of which she was partial to. There was a deep navy blue satin gown with a ruffled bottom hem and short puffed sleeves and slightly exposed neckline. Beside it was a gown in a tailored cotton bodice, a U-shaped neckline, lace up bodice and half length sleeves. Then finally, a dark olive bodice dress, ruffles decorating the neckline, a lace up bodice, and cotton underskirt with tiers of ruffles that should look busy but didn’t. That one had to be her favorite of the six, but based on the exposed neckline and least wide skirt, Sakura thought that maybe this was the design Taiko referred to as something he saw as a future trend.

“Excuse us,” a new, haughty feminine voice spoke.

So enamored by the dresses, Sakura failed to notice a group of three women enter the store, all dressed to impress with what could be described as their security close behind them. One of them, hair a deep violet, spotted her on her lonesome and focused on her hair in a mere braid. With a smirk, she looked to her friends and they, too, had their eyes on the woman with bright pink hair.

Sakura turned to see the three women, and immediately, she felt like she was being observed by predators. Arrogance in their posture and lips lifted in laughter. 

“The designs are quite beautiful, are they not?” The woman in the middle asked her friends.

“Quite, Lady Ami.”

“One can’t help but admire them.”

Sakura watched them with mild curiosity. It may be a fantasy world, but her situation felt eerily similar to being cornered in the girls bathroom by the school bullies. It felt juvenile.

“However, I should hope your Madam will not catch you ogling such luxuries.”

All too juvenile.

She was ready to go off on the mouth with these girls, but she held herself back. There was no point in causing a scene. However, it would seem the man she came here with had other ideas.

“Sakura.” His voice cut through the air and the women stiffened, seeing him walk up to them, eyes furrowed as they were in the carriage. They lowered themselves to a curtsy, head down as he approached. He stopped next to Sakura, taking her hand in his in a quick but soft motion, placing it on his arm. “Taiko has the room ready.”

“Oh,” was all she could let out before he led them away.

Sakura didn’t look back, though annoyed at their behavior, she wanted to think nothing of it. Neither got to see the confusion in their eyes, and the fire that began to burn in Lady Ami’s eyes. 

* * *

**Jealousy, green and unpleasant** **  
****A lady drowning in envy**

* * *

“What was that?”

She asked when the two were alone. The room he led them to was a large one with a platform in the middle and several more mannequins with gowns and dresses on display lining the walls opposite them. Sasuke removed his gloves, placing them on the table between two red, velvet couches before taking a seat. 

“I’d expected more of a word of thanks removing you from her presence.”

“Who _is_ she?”

“Count Watanabe’s daughter, Lady Ami,” he said, irritated by just speaking her name. “A noblewoman I would be more inclined to avoid.”

“But you didn’t.”

“Would you prefer to hear her barking?”

“No, but that’s not the point.” She folded her arms in a huff. “Mind telling me what really is going on? No more evading the question, Sasuke.”

He raised a brow. He should be offended by her informality, but he’d preferred it to ‘ _Your Grace_ ’. 

“What’s going on?”

He sighed. No point in keeping it until their return when it had already happened. “Lady Ami is quite an incessant conversationalist.”

She glared at him. So her assumption in the carriage was right. Groaning, she slapped her hand onto her forehead. “And why in the world do you need people to gossip about you?”

“For my brother.”

“Your brother.” She shook her head. Izumi must have said yes already. That meant he really was trying to sway public interest to him to… what? Lessen the scrutiny on his brother? For someone who appeared so cold, he was definitely one to make rash decisions based on his affections for his family. “You could have just told me. I would have preferred to be ready for this circus. I do need to repay you somehow for your hospitality.”

“My hospitality?” A rare compliment towards him.

“You know, letting me stay in your estate. And honestly, I have no idea why in the world you let a stranger in your own home.”

“Some have accused me of being deranged.”

“Yeah, in the battlefield.”

“You’ve heard?”

She pursed her lips. “Yeah, you know. From the maids.”

He nodded slowly, though he was still skeptical. Sakura’s mind chastised herself. 

There was a knock at the door before it opened, revealing Taiko. “Excuse me, Your Grace. Madam.” He walked in and closed the door behind him and stood by the platform in the middle of the room. “Madam, if you so please.” He motioned to the platform.

Sakura gave Sasuke one more glare before turning and walking to stand on the platform. 

“Have you taken a liking to some of the designs?” He asked. 

“Oh, yes. You do incredible work.”

“Such high praise!” He feigned wiping a tear. “Was there one in particular you were partial to, Madam?” 

Sakura studied the mannequins and pointed out the designs similar to the ones she liked, she felt more at ease, but there was still hesitance present in her actions.

“I see you like a forward thinking woman, Your Grace! Such boldness is worthy of praise.”

Sasuke merely nodded, his go-to action when he didn’t want to say a word. 

Taiko continued asking her questions to which she answered in earnest, such as color preferences, fabric preferences, any liberties he would be allowed to take. Finally done with the twenty questions, he rubbed his hands with glee. “Very well, Madam. Now, for your measurements.”

She expected a tape measure and commands of moving her arms one way or the other. That didn’t occur. With a wave of his hands, a glitter of light surrounded her form that startled the woman, almost jumping in fright before the light disappeared. Her mouth dropped open.

“Now, Your Grace. Would you like these dresses brought to your home or would you rather bring them with you right now?”

‘ _Now?!_ ’ He had yet to make the dresses, how would they be able to bring the dresses with them on such short notice?

“I’ll have another carriage arrive to bring them to my estate later this afternoon,” Sasuke said, amused by her reaction.

Taiko had noticed her surprise and tilted his head. “Oh, Madam, what is the matter?”

“How...”

“How?” He parroted, as if her confusion was the astonishing thing.

Sasuke stood, deciding to walk up in front of her, hand offered again to help her down the platform. “Taiko is a mage.”

A mage. A chakra user.

Taiko began to laugh. “Oh, Madam, you’re quite a performer.”

“I am?”

“I almost believed your bewilderment. How silly of me! To think a chakra user would not recognize another.”

A chakra user. Her. How? She looked at Sasuke, his hand still waiting for hers. He looked at her, steady, serious. Now she knew. She knew why he’d so readily let her in his home.

He thought her a threat.

But how was that possible? She couldn’t have chakra. She wasn’t from this world. It shouldn’t be possible. Yet she was in the world to begin with. Possibilities were endless.

“Sakura.”

He looked at her, and it felt like he could see right through her. She took his hand and walked down. 

“We shall be going, Taiko.” 

Taiko bowed. “Thank you for your patronage, Your Grace. Madam.”

As the door opened and the two left, she once again whispered. “I have questions.”

“So do I.”

“No more tip-toeing it, Sasuke.” She stared at him with such intent that he was at a loss by the intensity in her eyes. If anyone had questions, it was he. But he felt the need to humor her, hear her out. It was all in her eyes, the compulsion to do such a thing was because of her eyes. Eyes that he could read like an open book with hidden messages splattered within every line. And he was determined to decipher every single one. If not for the kingdom and its safety, but also for himself.

* * *

**“And so the story begins.”**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyaaa, chapter 3 and things are unfolding!
> 
> I honestly didn't think people would be interested in this fic, but the reviews and comments astound me. I'm so glad y'all are interested in this world I'm building up. It's a lot of fun to create, and I do love me some intrigue.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> \- Mika


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